Do you have any helpful advice?

Hey ya'll I was just wondering if you had any helpful advice for someone that is going to start there own buisness. My husband and I have givein it a lot of thought and we've decided to start a fitness center and a recording studio. We are both new to this. I've worked in as a desk clerk for 3 1/2 years now but i'm sure thats not close to managing a business. Any advice and comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a good day!Do you have any helpful advice?
It's a horrid statistic but 80% of small business start ups fail. The treads of commonality of those that survive and thrive - knowledge, sufficient cash reserve for the carry, hire a CPA, spent substantial time preparing a business forecast and experience in the business you are getting into. If you open multiple businesses at the same time, look for them to compliment one another (Fedex-Kinkos) - and how ';lateral marketing like that saves advertising $$ and grows the ';same'; business. I found a great resource with check lists and written in layperson terms.Do you have any helpful advice?
I wouldn't open a recording studio... It's really hard to make any money. Like the old saying goes ';Know how to make a million dollars in the music business? Spend two million!';
You may want to consider some small business enterprises to start:





1. Providing a private tutoring service ranging from music lessons, English writing and reading lessons: to training seniors on how to operate a particular computer;





2. Offering to supervise or monitor services to senior citizens especially those wanting someone to take them on errands, driving on long trips, watch and clean up homes left behind by seniors who have been relocated to assisted living quarters;





3. Becoming a regional apartment manager servicing several properties while traveling to and fro to collect monthly rents and service tenant complaints;





4. Leasing a van equipped with paper shredding machinery and go into high-income areas offering to shred their highly secretive personal papers or even allow them to do so in the privacy of their own home or office;





5. Leasing high-pressure steam cleaning equipment which can be used to remove chewing gum in front of store fronts and apartment houses and charge an appropriate hourly fee;





6. Acquiring a personal fiduciary bond up to $100,000 [actually 10% or $10,000] which will allow you to sell your services as a personal property document specialist which involves photographing and cataloging all kinds of personal property which are subject to insurance coverage; salvaging of family photo albums, etc.





Good luck!
My first advice is to take some time to write a business plan for your ventures. You need to really force yourself to understand all the details of the business and figure out if you can make enough money at the businesses you've thought of to meet your own goals. You also need to discover how you can offer something truly unique in your industries. I'd start by looking at things like:


- Cost to rent the space you'd need


- Cost to buy the equipment you need


- Who you need to hire to work there and how much they cost


- What you can typically charge a customer


- How do you acquire new customers; what do these marketing and sales activities cost; and how long does it take from first contact with a potential customer to close of the sale


- Business licenses that you'll need in your city, county, and state


- Insurance requirements


- What is your competition in your area; what makes each of your competitors special and unique; what is each of your competitors' weaknesses





Good luck! It may take you months or even a year to figure all of this out, but then you can be sure that you're starting the right business for you, that you can afford to start it, and that you can stand out and be successful.